FALL PREVENTION

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a great resource on falls among our aging population.  According to the CDC, in 2008 over 19,700 elder adults died as a result of an unintentional fall.  As care providers, preventing falls is our #1 priority 24 hours a day.  We know first how how devastating a fall can be.  Injuries range from bruises, to broken hips, to head trauma.  In fact, the leading cause of brain injury in the elderly is falling.  

Please visit this web resource for more information on falls.

www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

Food Handler Card Update

This question regarding the Food Handler Card is still floating around and as of yet there is no clear answer.  Some have said that RCFE's are exempt from the requirement while others suggest it is a Health Department issue.  The truth is, until either CCLD or the Health Department make a statement on the matter we are uncertain.  Our position at Community Care Options is to stress the importance of detailed training for your food staff.  While it may not be a requirement yet, it may be wise to have your staff trained and assessed in the same way as the retail food service community.  Training of this caliber is also a great marketing tool for those facilities who serve in a restaurant style.  Tell us your thoughts on Facebook.  Click here to leave your feedback.

MRSA in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly

We frequently get the question of what to do with MRSA in the assisted living. 

Licensing classifies MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria as "Prohibited Health Conditions".  The reason being that elderly individuals usually have weaker immune systems than younger individuals.  As such, it is to be dealt with in a very serious way. 

The RCFE Evaluators Manual (The Blues) says the following"

"If a resident is diagnosed with a methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection, the resident must be relocated elsewhere, such as to an acute care hospital or a skilled nursing facility, until the infection is cleared unless the facility applies for and receives an exception."

To read the entire Section 87615, Prohibited Health Conditions click HERE.  Go to page 108 in the PDF, the section begins near the end of the page.

Guidelines for treatment of MRSA from the Infectious Diseases Society of America - click HERE.

Responding to Confusion in our Residents with Dementia

Q - How do we interact with are residents when they are confused?

A - When our residents are confused or even forgetful it is so easy to become impatient.  We're often busy with many issues at a time and forget that we are there to be a support for our people.  It is important in these situations to remain calm and patient.  Our responses need to be loving and respectful.  It is even helpful in your response if you use words like "I think" or "maybe" instead or "remember".  Please look at this checklist from the Alzheimer's Association and share it with your caregivers.

The checklist is here .

California Food Handler Card Law (SB 602)

In the last few weeks our office has received several calls requesting information about Senate Bill 602 (SB 602), aka The California Food Handler Card law.  This law took affect July 1, 2011.  Currently, clarification on how this affects residential care facilities is hard to find.  There is some great information out there on the subject, however.  Thank you ACCA member Brian P. for your help on this.
For starters, this law seems to specifically address "retail" food handlers.  It raises the question, how do we define "retail"?  Since the care we provide is charged to the resident and it must require food service then it is safe to assume we fall into this "retail" area.  We recommend having your staff trained and assessed with a Food Handler Card on file.  At the very least it will keep you out of hot water and your staff will be better as well.

We plan on providing the California Food Handler training in the near future.  We'll keep you posted.

Check out the following links for more information.

Read the Guidelines & FAQ

Read the Bill (SB 602)